


Not-Cover Friends

by consideritalljoy



Category: Chuck (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, basically immediately after “Chuck vs the Tic Tac”, because that episode hurt me okay, but like kind of subtle I guess?, what? another plotless fluff? you fckn bet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 00:49:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20267308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/consideritalljoy/pseuds/consideritalljoy
Summary: Chuck knows he has a long way to go before he can be a good spy, but dammit, long before any of that, he prided himself on being a good friend.





	Not-Cover Friends

Chuck stood in front of Casey’s door at around 10pm, arms heavy-laden with crinkling plastic bags. He couldn’t really knock with both arms full, so he settled for just calling out, “Hey, a, I brought you some stuff. And if you don’t want to talk right now, fine. I can leave it on the mat. But if you do, well, then I’m here. I can come inside if you want, or stay right here. Your call. Just, a, just let me know, okay? Casey?” 

The sound of the door unlocking. The door opened an inch, the chain still attached, Casey eyeing him and what he carried with what almost looked like a blank expression. Trouble was, “blank” for Casey meant some hint of anger, usually. There wasn’t any anger this time. Just a blank stare. Chuck inwardly winced. 

With a soft grunt, Casey shut the door again, and Chuck stood there silently for an extra second before hearing the chain slide off the door. Casey opened it again and stepped aside. 

Chuck cautiously entered. Now that the apartment was stripped of everything military, there... wasn’t much. And what was left was still out of place and obviously rummaged through. Even the lights had all gone out, except for one bulb in the fixed light on the ceiling. Chuck made a mental note to come back with more bulbs if Casey was still this dazed tomorrow. 

“I brought Subway,” Chuck said as cheerily as he could, putting down the plastic bags on the card table in the center of the room. “A couple, in fact. Didn’t know how much you’d have lying around, so I brought some to leave for tomorrow.” 

A grunt from Casey told him the gesture was appreciated. 

Chuck carefully separated one of the bags from the others. “And I, uh, didn’t know what’d be left, you know? So I brought a... let’s call it a housewarming gift, for your civilian life. Here.” He gently pushed the plastic down from around the object inside, revealing a very small, very delicate bonsai. 

At the sight, Casey’s focus turned entirely to the plant. He stared at it for several seconds, running it over with his eyes the way Chuck usually saw him running over a machine gun, or maybe a battle plan. At length, he picked it up, and slowly examined the branches. His fingers slid gently along the edges, still taking the entire thing in. 

Chuck honestly had no idea he’d spend so long looking at it. He knew Casey cared for bonsai, of course, and Sarah had told him with disgust that the government had overturned his last one without a second thought, but he’d never seen Casey actually looking at one before. He’d kind of assumed he’d get another grunt in response and nothing else on the matter. 

And was that... a smile? No, not really, not by Bartowski standards, anyway. But for Casey? Especially tonight? Anything counted. The slight turn at the left corner of his mouth counted as a smile tonight. 

Casey cleared his throat and placed the bonsai squarely in the middle of the table. “Thanks,” he muttered. 

“Sandwich?” Chuck asked, holding one out. 

Casey took it and sat down. “I really didn’t see this coming,” he said as he unwrapped it. 

Chuck nodded. “Why would you? You’re America’s finest. But for family... It was the choice I hope I’d be brave enough to make.” 

“Don’t really know what it’s like to be a civilian anymore. Don’t know if I ever really have been before.” Casey’s focus was on the sandwich as he ate, like if he didn’t focus on the words, they’d be less real. The cold pit in Chuck’s stomach tightened when he remembered Sarah saying he’d been doing this since he was a teenager. He literally hadn’t ever been a civilian; not since he was a kid. 

Chuck kept up a determined grin. “It’s not all like the Buy More, for starters. Not that the Buy More is a bad place to be,” he rushed to add. More casually, he tacked on a final, “Think you’ll stay there?” 

Casey shrugged. “Don’t exactly have a better option.” 

“You will. You’re way overqualified for retail.” He squinted, wondering where Casey’s gaps in civilian knowledge would be, and how to help without making it sound like he thought he was clueless. He settled for a straightforward, “You know that, right?”

Again, Casey shrugged, and then his shoulders collapsed into his broad chest as he hunched over the card table. “Can’t do what I’m qualified for.” 

A discouraged Casey wasn’t something Chuck ever thought he’d see. Or wanted to. The encouragement came more naturally now that he could tell Casey needed it. “Okay, now, come on. You have millions of skills. There’s got to be some that work for other jobs. You’ll find the right ones. But until then, don’t think you have to run off. You might be a civilian now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be... well, friends. Real ones, not cover ones.” 

“I don’t have those,” Casey muttered. 

Chuck grinned. “Yeah, you do.” 

Casey only grunted again, but it was a grunt of approval, so Chuck’s smile didn’t waver. 

“Shift tomorrow? Me too. When it’s over, how about we pick you up some stuff at the Buy More and fix this place up?” 

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Oh, I know. I want to, though. Really. It’s what not-cover friends do.” He waited for a response, but decided the lack of one was enough. “And another thing. Not-cover friends can still get frozen yogurt on their work breaks. Maybe we’ll even actually get to eat some for once.” 

“Not sure how thrilled I am about going there tomorrow. Or seeing Walker,” he added at a raspy whisper. 

“Okay, I see you there, that’s, that’s fair. So the yogurt comes to you. I’ll be on it. Should probably be going for now, though. We open tomorrow.” He stood up and started walking to the door while Casey followed him. “So, see you in the morning, then.”

Chuck stepped back outside fully expecting the door to shut behind him without another word. Instead, in the quick instant between stepping onto the mat and turning back around to the sound, he heard a soft, “thank you,” and then the door was closed.


End file.
